You’d be hard pressed to find someone my age (early 30s) who doesn’t know who about Australian boy-band Human Nature.
Human Nature was the quintessential success story — four young kids who started out performing as a school band called The 4 Trax at the NSW School’s Spectacular.
Featuring Toby Allen, Phil Burton and brothers, Andrew and Mike Tierney, the band went on to become Human Nature, with a slew of hits including: Got It Goin’ On, Everytime You Cry (duet with John Farnham), Wishes and Tellin’ Everybody.
Human Nature has recorded an impressive 13 albums and supported the likes of Celine Dion and Michael Jackson and in 2009, began a residency on the Las Vegas Strip, performing a Motown-themed show — an epic achievement, only reserved for top tier performers.
This year, the band from Sydney’s Macarthur area are being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and frankly, it’s not a moment too soon.
They’re a band that has spanned three decades and can harmonise like it’s nobodies business. They’re talented. Unequivocally themselves and have managed to maintain a squeaky clean reputation all of these years.
WATCH: Human Nature perform at the 2019 ARIA AWARDS
For me, Human Nature hold a very special place in my heart.
They were my Aussie version of The Backstreet Boys, FIVE and *NSYNC (I was OBSESSED). And I held their songs just as close.
In 1999, I began performing in a choir called Sing 2000 — one that would see me go on to perform at the Sydney Paralympic Opening Ceremony the following year.
Of course, singing in white T-shirts in a crowd of over three hundreds kids is fun, but what’s even better is having Mike and Andrew’s mum teach you how to sing.
I kid you not. Beverley Tierney, the person who made one half of the most famous band in the country at the time, taught me a thing or two about holding a tune, and looking back I don’t think I ever realised how important that was.
The same year, I was lucky enough to be a part of School’s Spectacular with Human Nature returning as alumni.
They were fearless, gracious and talented — and every single kid there looked up to them like they were God.
Even though they haven’t made much of a splash in recent years in Australia, I will forever remember Human Nature as one of the best boy bands from my childhood.
And now that they’re being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame?
It’s about damn time.
